Man Sues K Mart, Says He Was Falsely Accused Of Shoplifting

March 13, 1990|The Morning Call

A Bethlehem man who says he was wrongly accused of shoplifting has filed suit in Northampton County Court against K mart.

Israel Gonzalez of 3017 East Blvd. is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for alleged assault and battery, false imprisonment, and defamation of character in an action prepared by attorney Fred P. Rooney.

The suit says that on Nov. 24, Gonzalez went to the K mart store on Route 191 in Bethlehem Township with his brothers-in-law, 16-year-old Joel Colon and 19-year-old Ramon Colon. Joel and Gonzalez shopped together for much of their visit to the store, while Ramon went off on his own.

As Gonzalez waited in the check-out line, he gave his car keys to Joel so Joel could wait in the car. When Gonzalez had gone through the checkout line, he left the store, but seeing neither of the Colon brothers at his car, he returned to the store entrance to wait for them.

There, the suit says, he was accosted by a security officer who knocked his packages from his arms, pushed him against the wall, ordered him to drop the candy bar he was eating, handcuffed him and told him to carry his package in his teeth.

Then Gonzalez, in handcuffs, was walked through the store, where he was seen by people he knew, and taken into a back room. He was ordered to provide identification and empty his pockets. According to the suit, an unidentified person tried to coerce him into confessing to shoplifting, and Gonzalez was `'treated rudely and without respect."

A police officer arrived, and after about 20 minutes, the handcuffs were removed. When it became clear he had not shoplifted, he was treated better, the suit says. He was eventually given papers to sign and released.